Harpoon Rich & Dan's Rye IPA | Harpoon Brewery & Beer Hall

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Notes / Commercial Description:
This beer is brewed with our proprietary yeast – the same yeast we’ve used since first brewing Harpoon Ale – and some interesting hop varieties. The combination of Pale, Rye, Caramel 60, Flaked Rye, and Vienna yield a complex malt body that stands up to the spiciness of the rye and the pronounced hop flavor. The rye also adds a reddish hue to the beer. The kettle additions of Centennial, Apollo, and Chinook, and the dry hop addition of Falconer’s Flight add a multidimensional hop character.

Poured into a nonic a clear rich copper with a creamy-like one finger white head that never really settles,just some nice froth.Aromas have a nice spicy rye kick to go along with the citric hops,a bit of nutty malt is detected as well.Flavors start with citric and earthy hops wich is good but the rye doesn't quite stand out as much on the palate,there is a slightly sweet and nutty malt base wich holds up well to the hops.There is a nice creamy feel to the beer and it has alot of stuff going for it,a little beefing up on the rye malt and this beer would be outstanding,as is it's still pretty damn good.

In a Sam Adams pint glass this beer was a gold color, not at all hazy. It had a medium-sized white head that left a little bit of lace.
Rye malt aroma, fairly sharp. Citrus and herbal notes.
Rye malt taste against grapefruit. Some piney hops showed up late.
This beer was certainly on the crisp side. It had a nice bite to it.
Would drink it again.

Rich & Dan's Rye IPA begins with an aroma that is heavy on the hops (as is to be expected), with lovely pine and grapefruit notes. Beneath that is a healthy dose of grains, including fresh-cut wheat aromas, as well as light hints of rye and pumpernickel bread.

On the tongue, the beer provides a massive upfront hit of hops, heavy on grapefruit and grapefruit rind. The malts add a touch of apricot. The rye flavors come later in the mouthful and are quite light, but do add a hint of spicy undercurrent, resembling marble rye bread with fresh-cracked black pepper. The aftertaste is heavy on hops, with light remnants of apricot and rye, and has a lingering hop and, unfortunately, alcohol tang.

Overall, this is a good IPA, though problematic in that the rye flavors are not as prominent as the label would suggest--indeed, not knowing this was a Rye IPA, I wouldn't have necessarily known rye was in it. And the heavy alcohol in the aftertaste did become overwhelming after about a third of the bottle. Still, the hoppy tones are delicious, and there's just enough spice to give the beer a welcome kick. Worth a try, but don't expect to be blown away.

S: Hoppy, lots of resin/pine notes with a little dankness and some soapy notes (no, my glass is clean, nothing but hot water touches it). A slight rye note that seems to be lightly toasted unmalted rye rather than rye malt.

T: A respectable but not harsh hop bitterness up front followed by piney hops balanced by some spiciness and the smooth flavor of rye malt. Medium-dry, bitter finish.

M: Moderate carbonation and the slick body that rye malt lends. Finish is a tad too dry and bitter but that is splitting hairs.

O: A very drinkable beer with no real faults, just doesn't blow me away. I would buy it again. Would like to try this on draft.

A: The beer is crystal clear yellowish amber in color and has no signs of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin film of bubbles covering the surface and a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of spicy rye malts along with some notes of citrus and pine resin hops.
T: The taste is both malty and spicy; the spiciness from the rye particularly stands out in the finish while the initial taste has some hints of malty sweetness. There is a mild to light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is some dryness towards the finish.
O: The beer isn’t that difficult to drink for the style because the spiciness from the rye is not overpowering.